Note: Today is Blog Action Day and we’ve been encouraged to talk about Climate Change. Yes, I realize the irony between having “blog” and “action day” in the same statement. Here’s my take anyway.
This week, I’ve talked about my skepticism about green jobs (without the supporting training), about exploiting a good cause and businesses with sustainable practices. It is almost like I planned to talk about my cynicism about all of these niche business ventures that tend to separate people’s money from their pockets with no appreciable gain for the environment.
Let’s Get Something Straight…
This may not be a popular post (with anybody) but before you go all out on me, you should understand where I am coming from. For one, I believe climate change is real. The science, while not conclusive in all areas, easily points to the impact we have on the planet being a negative one. And I am an environmentalist. There is no moral basis for needlessly destroying what we have. But I too believe that there are ways we can use our resources responsibly (like timber, farming, mining and harvesting). I am skeptical of many of the regulations that have been used to try and fix these issues though (that’s why I refused to sign the petition that Blog Action Day tries to throw at you in order to participate). And while I believe awareness is important, I believe education (without ridiculous fear mongering from the partisans) is most important.
I live in the middle of the green boom here in Portland, Oregon so it may be easy to see why I am bit cynical about green business in general. For one, many of the subsidies and tax credits simply aren’t making it down to infrastructure development and job creation. Attraction of businesses that depend heavily on this money to float operationally is a gamble that lawmakers are willing to take with tax payer money. Many in the green industry say that pulling tax credits and subsidies will sink their businesses. They are correct too.
Sustainability Is Also About Business Practices
When we talk about sustainability in the green economy, we rarely talk about business sustainability. So we essentially switch one broken model that requires subsidy (our dilapidated manufacturing and old energy infrastructure) with another (green business and energy models that require massive public investment to break even). Of course, the cry is that it is necessary, that infrastructure developments are a one time price for the switch and it is much better than investing in our current industrial base. Best of all, politicians get to feel like they can push forward ideas with vision, purpose and (most importantly for their constituents and donors) targeted funding for their district’s contribution to green industry.
So now there are thousands of companies out there who are either drawing up business plans or executing on business plans that essentially say “Qualify for government subsidy, ride it out and cross our fingers that we have a product or service in the end that we can limp along with after our runway ends.” It is a killer business plan because it gets people money (not because it works).
Think Outside Of The Green Box
There is a better way and it starts with leaving government money off the table for a second and thinking about ways you can run your green business without it. That doesn’t mean that government money doesn’t come on the table later to help ease or encourage distribution or help supply investments in infrastructure and plant facilities. While much of the focus right now is on consumer driven solutions (think hybrid cars, personal solar panels or wind turbines), the most important gains will come in industry and agriculture. That’s why programs like industrial power conservation and methane capturing don’t need a ton of money for the relative benefit they provide. This is also why low risk, high reward green businesses haven’t stopped to think about how they could get more money from the government: they don’t need it.
We need more of that and less of these schemes that are going to require government interference for decades, carbon swapping or any of these other ideas that move the problem of climate change around rather than fixing it. I think devising sustainable business solutions are the best way of moving forward.
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I believe climate change is real, too, but I hate when a cause gets trendy.
Living in Florida, I’m on the other end of the ‘green’ spectrum (basically, our state couldn’t care less about the environment and continues to strip-mine, over-develop the land, and otherwise screw it up). I agree that most of the direction it towards ‘sexy’ things like hybrids and other consumer goods, but biggest benefit is in industry. But you can’t sell that to people. They want solar panels!
My Action Day post was similar with business in mind; being green and adding to the bottom line. Fusion Frames does not take govt handouts to become green or to remain green. And simple manufacturing changes have seen margins increase on our products, yet helped my business move to a more sustainable model. My wish upon a star is to see more businesses move toward green operational practices that are no longer seen a political choice (or govt subsidized) but accepted practice for better business and a better world. It will happen slowly, with or without govt help. Thanks Lance for the awareness post.
My Action Day post was similar with business in mind; being green and adding to the bottom line. Fusion Frames does not take govt handouts to become green or to remain green. And simple manufacturing changes have seen margins increase on our products, yet helped my business move to a more sustainable model. My wish upon a star is to see more businesses move toward green operational practices that are no longer seen a political choice (or govt subsidized) but accepted practice for better business and a better world. It will happen slowly, with or without govt help. Thanks Lance for the awareness post.
P.S. – Sorry, forgot to tell you great post!
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